Children and families practitioner jobs in Manchester
We believe that everyone deserves to be supported in their mental health needs and we have a part to play in that. Our work is guided by our values of:
Openness | Belonging | Strength | Collaboration
Our purpose is to create space where mental health comes first. We do this through working in partnership with other agencies and providing services in a trauma-informed way. This role will work collaboratively within Manchester City Council’s multi-disciplinary Thriving Families Team alongside domestic abuse, substance misuse and family help workers to support families where children are open to Child Protection or Child In Need Plans. The aim is to ensure that children, young people and their families are better able to access appropriate support services leading to improved understanding and management of their mental health.
We believe in the power of listening and being heard. The Mental Health Practitioner will build collaborative and kind relationships where people feel heard and understood, enabling people to access services and navigate routes to support. The role is based within the Council’s Thriving Families team and referrals are received directly from Social Workers. You will offer a range of tailored support to adults and children in the family including delivering 1:1 psycho-social support interventions around anxiety, grief and trauma, community advocacy, making referrals, communicating with health/social care and assisting in addressing practical needs.
Salary: £32,271
Contract: Initially for 12 months (extension possible dependent upon funding)
Hours: 35 hours per week
Base: Manchester City Council Offices – Etrop Court, Wythenshawe
The type of skills and knowledge that are important to us are:
· Experience of working in a psycho-social way with the whole family delivering interventions for people experiencing mental health problems.
· Ability to work in a strengths-based, open and positive way that builds kind relationships and is receptive to and appreciative of the skills and talents of everyone.
· Knowledge or experience of the issues that people with lived experience of poor mental health face and the impact this has on their lives.
Application documents can be downloaded from our website.
The closing date is 10am on Monday 19th January with interviews planned face-to-face in Wythenshawe on Tuesday 27th January.
Manchester Mind is striving to be an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Manchester Mind sees it as a positive advantage if you have experience of mental health issues and/or have used mental health services, or had experience of volunteering.
Our purpose is to create a space where mental health comes first.



The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Family Support Worker - Greater Manchester
Maternity Cover up to 12 months
£24,000 pa + Company Car and benefits (including 25 days annual leave, reward scheme and pension)
Greater Manchester region
Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity is going through an exciting time where we are growing, with the aim of reaching more families in need.
About the role:
We are looking to appoint a Family Support Worker for a fixed term period of up to 12 months, on a full-time basis (35 hours per week), to deliver a high-quality family support service as part of our Greater Manchester Care Team.
Reporting to the Family Support Manager of the Greater Manchester Care Team and working in partnership with health, education and social care professionals, you will take responsibility for providing needs-led emotional, social and practical support to families where a child/young person has a life threatening or terminal illness.
Having worked in a demanding and emotional environment you have a genuine interest in building supportive relationships and helping people; and having provided bereavement support to families, you understand processes of grief, loss and change - and how best to help others deal with its impact.
What we’re looking for:
· An experienced child health, education or social care professional - applications will be particularly welcome from those who have worked in a community environment and those with a recognised qualification in education, health or social care
· A warm, inclusive approach to achieving goals quickly and correctly
· Practiced in child protection, information sharing and the rules around data protection - you lead by example, drawing on your own professional experience and working within established guidelines
· Practical and people-oriented - you will thrive working at a fast pace whilst maintaining accuracy and be a confident user of IT (including MSOffice)
· A persuasive and open communicator - you will work collaboratively with your team and volunteers to ensure delivery of a high-quality service and support fundraising colleagues by writing case studies and family updates
· A practical knowledge of diversity issues affecting children, young people and their families – aware that being responsive to others needs and concerns, is essential.
What we offer:
We are a Best Companies Two-Star rated organisation, an outstanding place to work! We have a range of fantastic benefits that we offer our employees, including:
· Flexible working hours to balance home and working life
· Employee Assistance Programme with access to remote GP, counselling, physiotherapy, resources to support your mental health and financial wellbeing, as well as a 24/7 helpline via Help@Hand
· Company car for front line care posts
· 25 days of annual leave plus public holidays – rising to 26 days after 1 year, 27 days after 5 years and 30 days after 11 years, with an additional 5 years to use in your 10th or 20th year of service (pro rata for part time)
· Time off in Lieu
· Access to the Blue Light Card Scheme, and other rewards and discounts
· Bike to work, season ticket loan and payroll giving schemes
· A recommend a friend recruitment bonus scheme
· Family friendly policies, focused on employee wellbeing, and an active cross-organisational wellbeing group running a number of initiatives throughout the year
· Pension scheme where we contribute 5% of your salary and you contribute at least 3%
· The option to buy/sell annual leave, as well as additional leave for your birthday, wedding/civil ceremony and an extra half day off for Christmas shopping
· Robust training and development programmes to support your learning and growth
As part of our learning and development Anne Harris Skills Development Programme, we aim to provide a high level of training and development opportunities for all staff, so you are able to perform to the best of your ability, achieve individual and team objectives aligned to Rainbow Trusts strategic plan, supporting staff to be their best and feel a valued member of a high performing organisation.
Our Family Support Teams are given the opportunity to complete a number of diverse training courses in their first 12 months, including but not limited to: Mental Health First Aid, Makaton, introduction to play, drawing and talking training.
The programme aims to provide a building block for you to individually tailor your own learning and development needs.
About us:
Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity enables families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness to make the most of time together, providing expert, practical and emotional support, where they need it for as long as it is needed. For families living with childhood illness, time is everything. Right now, there are too many families coping alone with no support, no time to think, no time to make memories and no time for each other. We believe that no family should go through this alone, so we are here to change that.
How to apply:
Please visit our website and apply online.
Please disclose on your application form if you have used AI for any part of your job application.
Interviews will take place at our Greater Manchester Care Team office with the dates to be confirmed. We will only contact those applicants who have been successful. If you require any adjustments during the interview process, please let us know.
There will be a requirement for flexible working and a full current driver’s licence to accommodate team and family need. An enhanced DBS disclosure will be required for this post.
Rainbow Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees to share this commitment.
Rainbow Trust is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all backgrounds.
Trafford Neurodiversity Hub
Senior Navigator Role
Are you passionate about neurodivergent children and young people and their families having the right support, at the earliest point? We are proud to be developing and delivering the Trafford Neurodiversity Hub and are seeking a highly skilled and experienced practitioners to be the senior navigator.
To be successful, you will need to have the following:
- Significant experience in supporting children with neurodiversity.
- The ability to ensure the 'voice' of the child and family is central, enabling lived experience to create change.
- Excellent team working skills. You will work as part of a service that covers the whole of Greater Manchester.
- The ability to collaborate with and confidently present information to a range of people including the delivery of workshops.
- Excellent communication skills, enabling communication with children, young people, families and professionals.
- Robust safeguarding knowledge and good recording skills.
- A car available for work with business insurance.
There are lots of opportunities to develop your skill set, knowledge and career progression going forward.
This service is dynamic, no two days are the same, we work flexibly to meet the needs of the children and families so whilst there is a Monday to Friday working pattern you will be working some evenings and if required occasional weekends. In return you will manage your hours so may benefit from later starts or earlier finishes.
Barnardo's has a generic job description/person specification. When completing your application please provide examples in your application in the context of the advert and additional information sheet as to how you meet the requirements of the role.
Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Do you enjoy building meaningful connections and supporting people to achieve their goals?
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Community Relationship Fundraiser to join our Fundraising Team at the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association. You will be helping people to raise money which will go towards our vital work supporting the MND community. You will ensure our supporters feel valued while helping to maximise income for the Association. A home-based role which supports our north region including Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, Cumbria and Northumberland. The Community Relationship Fundraiser will play a vital role in building strong relationships and delivering excellent supporter care.
Key Responsibilities:
- Remotely steward fundraisers in your area, working with internal teams to provide the best experience.
- Deliver excellent supporter care, ensuring fundraisers feel engaged and motivated.
- Collaborate with the wider community team to ensure consistent processes and accurate records.
- Ensure funds raised are received correctly and within agreed timescales.
- Make sure all fundraising activities comply with law, best practice, and internal policies.
About You:
- Experience in fundraising, sales, or account management.
- Experience coaching and motivating people to achieve goals.
- Experience of working to income targets.
- Excellent communication skills across phone, email, and face-to-face.
- Respectful of diverse backgrounds and committed to inclusivity.
- Able to build and maintain positive relationships.
- Good time management skills with the ability to prioritise and multitask.
About Us:
Our vision is a world free from MND. Our mission is to improve care and support for people with MND, their families and carers. We fund and promote research that leads to new understanding and treatments and brings us closer to a cure for MND. The Association also campaigns and raises awareness so the needs of people with MND, and everyone who cares for them, are recognised, and addressed by wider society.
What We Offer:
- 28 days holiday, increasing to 33 days after 5 years, plus Bank Holidays.
- Access to UK Healthcare, including dental, eyecare, health screenings, and therapies.
- 24/7 GP access via phone and video.
- Life assurance and confidential counselling helplines.
- Salary sacrifice schemes (Cycle to Work, Buy/Sell Annual Leave).
- Access to Benefit Hub for discounts on everyday shopping.
- Enhanced pension scheme.
- Opportunities for training and personal development.
- Hybrid working.
The full job description and further information about working for the MND Association is available in the candidate pack.
We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusivity. We work to remove barriers for everyone affected by MND, employees, volunteers, and stakeholders.
As part of the Disability Confident Scheme, we guarantee interviews for disabled applicants who meet the role's requirements.
As a Community Relationship Fundraiser, you will help ensure supporters feel valued and inspired, while contributing to the long-term success of the Association. If you are ready to take on this rewarding role, we would love to hear from you.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Do you enjoy building strong relationships and helping others achieve their fundraising goals?
At the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association, we are looking for a Relationship Fundraiser to join our team on a 10-month Fixed Term Contract. This is a fantastic opportunity where you will help strengthen connections with individuals, local businesses, and our branches and groups face-to-face across the region. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference by supporting fundraisers, delivering events, and ensuring every supporter feels valued.
This is a home-based role with travel requirements across: Lancashire, Manchester and South & West Yorkshire.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and deliver community and local business fundraising events in your region.
- Provide a tailored supporter journey through a range quality communications including meetings, calls and emails.
- Support our branches and groups to grow income from local events, trusts, and corporates.
- Build strong relationships to maximise fundraising potential and engagement.
- Ensure funds are processed accurately and on time.
- Collaborate with the wider community team to maintain consistent processes and accurate CRM records.
- Represent the Association at events, presentations, and local media opportunities.
- Ensure all fundraising activities comply with law, best practice, and internal policies.
About You:
- Experience in community fundraising or relationship management.
- Experience coaching and motivating people.
- Confident using CRM databases with knowledge of GDPR.
- Inclusive and respectful of diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
- Passionate about inspiring supporters to reach their fundraising goals.
- Strong communication skills with tact and diplomacy.
- Excellent attention to detail across written and verbal communication.
- Track record of working to income targets.
- Ability to work evenings and weekends when required.
- Full clean driving licence.
About Us:
Our vision is a world free from MND. Our mission is to improve care and support for people with MND, their families and carers. We fund and promote research that leads to new understanding and treatments and brings us closer to a cure for MND. The Association also campaigns and raises awareness so the needs of people with MND, and everyone who cares for them, are recognised, and addressed by wider society.
What We Offer:
- 28 days holiday, increasing to 33 days after 5 years, plus Bank Holidays.
- Access to UK Healthcare, including dental, eyecare, health screenings, and therapies.
- 24/7 GP access via phone and video.
- Life assurance and confidential counselling helplines.
- Salary sacrifice schemes (Cycle to Work, Buy/Sell Annual Leave).
- Access to Benefit Hub for discounts on everyday shopping.
- Enhanced pension scheme.
- Opportunities for training and personal development.
- Hybrid working.
The full job description and further information about working for the MND Association is available in the candidate pack.
We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusivity. We work to remove barriers for everyone affected by MND, employees, volunteers, and stakeholders.
As part of the Disability Confident Scheme, we guarantee interviews for disabled applicants who meet the role's requirements.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The Support Officer’s key objective is to enable Mermaids to deliver exceptional, high-quality services by providing effective operational, administrative and coordination support. Working closely with the Operations Manager and across the Communities, Youth, Support Line and Training teams, the role will ensure smooth day-to-day operations, strong communication, accurate systems and consistent quality standards. By increasing organisational capacity and supporting continuous improvement, the Support Officer will allow frontline teams to focus on what matters most; delivering positive impact for the people and communities we serve.
Supporting trans, non-binary and gender-diverse children, young people and their families since 1995
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We are looking for a dynamic, values-led, strategic leader to drive our mission for migration justice and social work solidarity. The role entails oversight of the operations and strategy of the organisation, responsibility for financial management and fundraising, maintaining the health of the organisation and embedding anti-racist and anti-opressive values into every aspect of the organisation.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.